Neon sign



Sept. 15, 1942; R. H. SEAMAN NEON SIGN Filed Dec. 22,1959

, INVENTOR. Rjchqr'aHSea man BY ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My'invention-relates'to neon signs; The principal object is'to provide mechanism for causing neon or other gas in a tube to be illuminated otherwise than all at the same time.

Another'obje'ct is to'provide mechanism to illuminate'different portionsof the neon or other gas in a tube, tosimulate movement of light.

Stillanother object'is to provide means for causing a break in'the light to appear to travel Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a tube to gether with diagrammatic representation of associated electrical parts adapted to produce the effect of having a gap in the light traveling longitudinally of the tube.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section illustrating a method of producting a tube with a plurality of electrodes in same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view partly in section showing mounting means for the tube.

In the form of the invention selected for illustration, and as shown in Figure 1 a tube I2I contains electrodes I22 to I33. The electrodes I22 and I33 are at the ends of the tube I2 I. The electrodes I23 to I32, inclusive, are disposed lengthwise in protuberances I34 provided laterally of the tube I2I. Glass beads are shown through which the wires pass through the walls of the tubes. A sign I35 is suggested in Figure 1. The sign I35 has inwardly flanged apertures I36 in which the protuberances I34 fit.

A leakage reactance transformer I31 has its primary coil I 38 connected with lead wires I39 and I40, while its secondary coil I4I is connected with the electrode I22 by means of wires I42 and I43 and with the electrode I33 by means of the wire I44. A rotary switch I45 has a series of three brushes I46, I41 and I48 equally spaced around the axis I99 of the rotary switch. The brushes have circumferentially elongated feet.

Electrode I22 is connected with contact I52 by means of wires I 53 and I43. Electrode I23 is connected by means of a wire I55 to a contact I54. Electrode I24 is connected by means of a wire I56 to a contact I51. Electrode I25 is connected by means of a wire I58 to a contact I59. Electrode I26 is connected by a Wire I60 to a contact I6I. Electrode I21 is connected by a wire I62 to a contact I63. Electrode I28 is connected by a wire I64 to a contact I65. Electrode I29 is connected by a wire I66 to a contact I61. Electrode I36 is connected by a wire I69 to a contact I69. Electrode I3I is connected'by a wire I16 to a contact I1I. Electrode I32 is connected by Wire I12 to contacts I13 and I14.

In use the tube I2I may be a conventionally neon tube filled with neon gas and from which the air was previously substantially evacuated. The resistance of the gas in the tube I2I to conducting electrical current is greater than the resistance of any of the wires I55'to I12 inclusive. The circumferentially elongated feet of the brushes are each of a length to contact at least one of the contacts above mentioned.

In the operation of the form shown Figure 1, thegas, as previously explained, has greater resistance than the wires, so that the current is shorted out of the tube I2I at the first electrode that is connected with the rotary switch, to wit, the electrode I23. The current then follows the wire I55 and passes through the brush I46 to the contact I59, thence along the wire I 58, and travels from electrode I25 to electrode I28. From there the current travels along wire I64, brush I41 to contact I69, along wire I 68 and from electrode ISO to the end electrode I33.

In this manner, the rotary switch causes alternate darkened and illuminated portions along the In the position shown in Figure 1, the portion of th tube from the end electrode I22 to electrode I23 is illuminated, the portion from electrode I23 to electrode I25 is darkened, the portion from electrode I25 to electrode I28 is illuminated, the portion from electrode I28 to electrode I39 is darkened and the portion from electrode I36 to the end electrode I33 is illuminated. As the rotary switch brushes are rotated in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 1, the darkened and illuminated portions shift to the right, giving the effect of the darkened portions traveling from the left end to the right end of the tube I2l.

The tube shown in Figure 2 comprises sections I16, I11 and I18. Of course, there will be an end section connected on to the section I18 or on to a succeeding section similar to the section I18. Brace I19 supports electrode I89 in the section I16. Wire I8I is to connect the electrode in a suitable circuit.

Braces I82 support electrodes I83 in the tube sections. In assemblying these elements the brace I82 is inserted in the tube in supporting relation to the electrode I83. The bead 5 is disposed between abutting ends of adjacent sections. With the elements in said positions, the tube sections are moved together; e. g., the section I13 is moved in the direction of the arrow toward section II! and the abutting ends are fused together around the circumference and around the bead 5.

A sign is represented at I84 in Figure 3. The sign I84 has an elongated, inwardly flanged opening I85. A tube is represented at I86 with electrodes I 81. Wires I88 connect the electrodes in suitable circuits. Strips of resilient rubber I89 and I98 enclose bare portions of the wires I 88, externally of the tube I86. The strips I89, I99 follow the configuration of the slotted opening I 85 which also conforms with the shape of the tube I86. The rubber strips may have lips ISI and I92 which together provide a snug fit against the tube I 86 and around the bead 5, If desired, the lips I9I and I92 may be cemented to the tube I86 although if the fit is snug the vacuum created thereby may be utilized to hold same in place.

The use of the form shown in Figure 3 is believed apparent and the method of practicing the method illustrated in Figure 2 has been described, as Well as the operation of the invention shown in Figure 1.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire. to. avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sign, a tube, gas in the tube adapted to be illuminated when activated by electrical current, a series of electrodes disposed along the tube, a series of contacts connected with the electrodes respectively, the gas between the electrodes having greater resistance than said connections respectively, and a single rotary switch member having a plurality of circumferentially spaced brushes, each brush being arranged to engage contacts of said series at either side of at least one uncontacted contact, to provide a darkened spot between lighted spots in the tube.

2. In a sign, a tube, a series of electrodes disposed along the tube arranged to activate gas in the tube, wires connected with the electrodes separately, gas in the tube adapted to be illuminated when activated by electrical energy, the gas between the electrodes having greater resistance than said wires respectively, a circuit for supplying electrical energy to the sign, a leakage reactance transformer controlling electrical energy supplied by the circuit to the sign, a series of relatively stationary contacts separately connecting with the electrode wires; and a single rotary switch member having a plurality of radially extending contact feet to engage the contacts of said series and connect same in the circuit, the contact feet being dimensioned to be in engagement with at least one contact throughout the movement of each foot from the beginning to the end of the series, the end' of the series and the beginning thereof being a greater distance apart than the size of the contact feet, permitting the contact feet to be out of engagement with all contacts when said feet are between the end and beginning of the contact series.

RICHARD H. SEAMAN. 

